infantile autism

noun, Psychology

1.

a disorder appearing in children before the age of two and a half, characterized by lack of interest in others, impaired communication skills, and bizarre behavior, as ritualistic acts and excessive attachment to objects.

infantile autismn. A severe disorder of childhood characterized by withdrawal, preoccupation with fantasy, language impairment, and abnormal behavior, such as ritualistic acts and excessive object attachment. Also called Kanner's syndrome.